Rock Concerts

Uh ... didn't the refrain on Mondays usually go something like, &quot;How was the show, Art?&quot; lol It's okay, because Sound Town was the first job for many of us, and I'm afraid that you had quite a lot to put up with with some of us (like my poor math and sales skills). They should have thrown a limo into the deal (did they? lol). Bill and Tom also recived tickets sometimes as assistant managers at Promenade. And I do remember that Spyrogyra concert at the Palladium -- second-hand of course. You told all of us that it was a very exciting event. And I remember your telling us of it because I worked at Sound Town in 1979 rather than in 1977. What was I thinking?
We did get to go eat as a group at Vincent's Seafood Restaurant, through having the highest sales of all the Sound Town stores of Paul Davis' album (the one that featured 'Cool Night,' I think). And I loved all the goodies and the occasional store displays we were able to receive. Can you believe I still have one of those little blue-and-white pencil sharpeners with the Sound Town bird and 'ABC Records' printed on it? Wonder what that was for.
Anyway, ya'll take care. We'll try to come out and hear your band play before long!
PS. Didn't Dmitri Vale (sp?) have his studio right around the corner from the Promenade location? Seems like I used to see him at the little coffee shop there during breaks. And didn't you tell us that Todd Rundgren lived in Dallas for a while? Questions, questions ...

Troy:
I will never forget how people kept yelling; &quot;Sing 'Piece of my Heart!'&quot; and she walked over to the piano and grabbed the Southern Comfort and upended the bottle and said, &quot;Aw no man! We're just gonna f--- around some more!&quot; I also remember the battle to get through the crowd and traffic! And that was before Austin was another huge city! I think MLK was still 19th St and Mopac was a railroad! Sheesh! I had already been teaching college for 3 years and was 30 years almost 30!

I'm still here; first came here in 1969 and lived in Jester. Now, I've got 26 years of service in at UT and hope to retire in a few years.
Lots of good concerts here back in 1969-70: Poco at the Vulcan Gas Company, Grand Funk Railroad, Jethro Tull, Fleetwood Mac. Also saw Three Dog Night at Gregory Gym. Drove to Ft. Worth to see the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder played back up.

Troy:
One of my dearest friends left Tyler in '69 to finish at UT and he stayed as well! Bought a home and is an executive at St. David's Hospital for the past 25 years! One of my favorite concerts was Bette Midler's first tour with Barry Manilow and I saw her at Armadillo World Headquarters! She was a bit taken aback and even fearful of the crowd being so close to her and boisterous but she gamely sang her heart out and loosend up finally. I also used to love the original Esther's Pool on 6th St. There was some great talent!

I also saw Eric Burden and the Animals in 1967 at McFarlin Auditorium (I believe) at SMU. I was a Junior at TJ and I wore a suit to the concert. THAT never happened again.
Some of the best concerts I saw were the Grand Funk and Bloodrock concerts.

I think Fleetwood Mac and Santana played together at the Can Jam. You could get in free for bringing in canned goods.
Does anyone remember the Midway being open and rides and beer being only a quarter that summer?

I never trust anyone over thirty, Steve (just kiddin').
I've been wondering: are there any sites comparable to this one at which historical topics of other Texas cities are discussed? I remember there being an interacitve forum sponsored -- I think -- by the Fort Worth Star Telegram a number of years ago, but haven't been able to locate it recently. Certainly there must be something available for Austin, with all of its concentrated memory.
By the way, my favorite Austin concert was held on a summer night in 1974 when Jackson Browne brought his grand piano and his puppy-dog eyes to town. Luckily for us, he let this red-headed vixen tag along with him, who played a really mean electric guitar and sang like a nightengale to boot (Miss Bonnie Raitt, of course).
I'd like to learn why Texas Hatters moved from Lamar Street out to Buda. I knew someone who worked there once, and who made a really fine chapeau. Of course, it's still possible to call to find out lol.
Thanks.

Well, Holly.....I've over thirty, but trust me! Bonnie Raitt is my all time favorite female singer and guitarist! She's got to be the best female guitarist for her styles of music, which range from rock, to CW, to blues to crossover styles.
I totally wore out an 8 track tape of her really great album called &quot;Home Plate&quot;! However, I have a newer one that I still use!
Good memories! Thanks for mentioning her name and bringing them back, Holly.
Fred

Holly:
I am not aware of websites for other cities but I can't help but believe a city as progressive (in some ways!) as Austin wouldn't have some aort of site. I have a couple of former students who are noe dear friends who live there so I will write and ask. Meanwhile, have tou tried a Google, etc. for Austin Historical Society, etc? I am goingf to when I finish this note! Jackson Browne's &quot;Puppy dog eyes&quot; is a perfect description! I can well imagine you were mesmerized by Bonnie Raitt! I was as well. In fact, I was mesmerized as a child at the Dallas Summer Musicals by her Dad John who recently died well into his 80's and still possessed of a beautiful voice! I remember Alfred Drake in &quot;Kismet&quot; but I can't recall what I saw John Raitt do other than a couple of movies but, I do have a memory of seeing him in person. Mom used to scrape pennies together to take my sister and me to as many cultural events as she could afford and I remember the night Nanette Fabray became intimately acquainted with a bug at the &quot;Starlight Operettas&quot; in the Fair Park Bandshell. It was after that hysterical &quot;tour de force&quot; that the Summer Musicals in the Music Hall were begun and the outdoor &quot;Operettas&quot; ended. Then, years later, they put in &quot;Starplex&quot; I think it'd called. There's nothing new in the world! I will postm a note if I find anything on other city sites!
Steve

Fred:
I'm jealous! I wasn't aware of Bonnie until much later than the 8 track era. You were on the leading edge of music for sure! My early R&amp;R and blues were from Lightnin' Hopkins, Josh White, Jimmy Reed and many others back in the 50's and 60's. I didn't fall in love with Bonnie Raitt until she made a name for herself later. Have you seen the fantastic Roy Orbison black and white taped concert on PBS in which she and KD Lang are back-up guitarists? It is an amazing concert!

Correction:
Bonnie and KD were back-up singers on the Roy Orbison tape. Orbison was amazing as well. He just stood in one spot, all but expressionless as a statue and that fantastic voice and lyrics just poured forth from him!

Holly:
I Yahoo Searched &quot;Austin Historical Society&quot; (and I'll bet you did too) and it brought up a list explaining there was no AHS as such, several other organizations were listed with address and contact info. A quick perusal didn't list any &quot;Message Board&quot; but I can't imagine their not being one in one of those organizations! At least I would imagine you could find out why the move to &quot;Byouder&quot; by the hat company. Taxes and cost factors most likely prompted that move!

Steve, the program &quot;Black and White Nights&quot; is fantastic! A co-worker of my wife's put it on a VCR tape for us. I still watch it every time it's broadcast and crank up the sound! The ladies doing backup were each great singers on their own, but Orbison was in the spotlight, so they just did their things and supported him.
There was a LOT of talent in that program and the bit with a young Springsteen was good, as well; even though he's recently turned out to be anti-U.S.
Fred

Steve, on earlier threads here, I've mentioned the R&amp;R or R&amp;B concerts I attended in the 1950s. I was off in the Navy in '60 and married by '62, so can't relate to most of the concerts in this message thread.
Dallas Memorial Auditoreum, with Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Reed, Dion and the Belmonts, etc., where Fats played a grand piano in the lobby during a break period.
Sportatorium, with so many of the R&amp;B and Doo-Wop groups! There were so many people attending that most had to stand outside and just listen through the open doorways. Great &quot;party&quot; atmosphere! Fred

While we're on the subject, what are some of the old large concert venues around Dallas? Here's some others I could think of (you already mentioned Memorial Auditorium and the Sportatorium):
Moody Coliseum (at SMU; I saw Genesis there in '77 as a kid!)
The Wintergarden
McFarlin Auditorium (at SMU)
Fair Park Music Hall
Starfest (at Park Central; later as Starplex at Fair Park)
Six Flags Music Mill Amphitheater
Will Rogers Auditorium (FW)
Texas Stadium
Loos Field House
Cotton Bowl
Bronco Bowl
Longhorn Ballroom
others?

Fred:
I felt reasonably sure you were familiar with the program! I consider it one of the &quot;best ever&quot; taped performances and, as you noted, featured an amazing collection of talent! I think I have seen it 3 or 4 times and enjoyed it every time!

Amen to that!
I posted earlier about a particular Jerry Lee Lewis concert at the Sportatorium. He was in his prime, kicking the bench across the stage, jumping on the keyboard and piano and generally raising Hell! It definitely held your attention! At every concert I attended at the Sportatorium, there was always an African-American man who sat front row center and waved his hands and arms in the air with the music! I am sure others who attended will remember him as well! I also attended an outdoor patio concert at Louanns with Jimmy Reed as the talent. His wife stood right next to him and whispered the lyrics to him as I am sure he was &quot;in his own world&quot;! I am assuming it was his wife! It was still a memorable performance!

Hi Fred,
Don't worry about it. All of those who used to brandish about that maxim are now way over thirty themselves, I do believe.
When I saw Bonnie in 1974, she had just released her album, 'Streetlights' (I'm pretty sure) and was on her way up, where she belonged. I had never heard a woman play slide guitar before that night. I went out and got myself a slide after the concert and attempted to make use of it on my guitar, but I was hopeless!
Yes, those days really bring back memories. Both Bonnie and Jackson brought the house down that evening, on the banks of the Rio Colorado. Sometimes I wish that there were a way to turn back the clock, at least for a little while.
Holly

Steve,
Thanks so much for searching for those sites. The 'Fort Worth' message boards are the ones that I really would love to find again, as they seemed to feature quite a bit of historical content. Maybe they're no longer maintained.
My mother has told me about the musical events that used to be held at the Fair Park Bandshell. I'll try to find out what her memory holds of them, and of other musical events in Dallas during the 1950s. Dad too (he's been reading these posts -- maybe he'll do so also, soon lol).
Not that it has anything to do with rock concerts, but I recall seeing a photo of my grandparents walking at Fair Park during the 1940s and fit out to the nines: my grandma in dress, hat and heels, and my grandad likewise hatted and in tailored suit. I'm gonna have to find out more about THAT. My, how times do change.
And poor Janis Joplin. Gutsy lady with loads of talent. Too bad she ain't here with us still.
Holly